Art and method of manufacturing earthenware insulators.



PATENTED NOV. 15, 1904.

F. M. LOGKE. ART AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING BARTHENWARE INSULATORS.

APPLICATION FILED 061214. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

I M M v ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES Patented November 15, 1904 FRED M. LOCKE, OF VICTOR, NEWYORK.

ART AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING EARTHENWARE INSULATO RS- SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 774,765, dated November 15, 1904.Application filed October 14, 1902. Serial No. 127,213. No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be itknown that I, FRED H. LOOKE, of Victor, in the county of Ontario,in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inthe Art and Method of Manufacturing Earthenware Insulators, of which thefollowing is afull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in the art and method ofmanufacturing earthenware insulators and similar articles havingdepressions or interior chambers.

In the manufacture of insulators under the various processes commonlyknown as the dry process and the. wet process it is found that thefinished article in the dry process is more or less porous and ofunequal density, is frequently irregular in outline, and in mostinstance when broken is found to contain minute air pockets or holes ofvarious sizes, while the exposed surfaces may be entirely free fromimperfections and give the insulator the appearance of solidity anduniform density. This porosity or unequal density of the materialrenders the insulator unsafe and practically useless, particularly underthe test of high-voltage currents to which they may be subjected.

My object therefore is to treat the earthen matter in such manner thatwhen the insulator is finished it is free from the imperfectionspreviously mentioned, is practically impenetrable by electric currentsof the highest voltage, and can be produced at a muchless cost thanunder either of the processes now in general use.

In carrying out the objects stated I preferably provide a body ofplastic porcelain or suitable clay which is sufficiently moist to form ahomogeneous mass, being distinguished from the material used in the dryprocess by its freedom from dust and greater cohesiveness. After theclay has been thus prepared a sufficient quantity to form the insulatordesired is placed in a suitable mold, and a die of the desiredcross-sectional contour is then rotated into and out of the material inthe mold, thereby further compressing said material and at the same timegiving it the shape of the contiguous faces of the mold and die.

Prior to or during the descent of the plunger or die into the plasticbody the die is heated and enters the plastic body under a heat of theplunger is transmitted to the adjacent surfaces of the plastic materialand causes the same to shrink or slightly recede from the plunger, andtherefore permits the free removal of the plunger without liability ofthe material adhering thereto and then withdrawing the heated plungerwith a rotary motion and simultaneously introducing air against theheated surface of the material. In order to clearly demonstrate this theprocess of forming the interior and other contours of the insulator, Ihave shown an apparatus similar to that set forth in my allowedapplication, Serial No. 59,289, filed May 8, 1901, and consisting,essentially, of a suitable mold 1 for receiving the plastic clay orporcelain of which the insulator is formed and a rotary threaded plunger2, heated by any suitable means, as a gas-burner 3, the threaded die orplunger having an annular flange 4L and trimming edges 5 for removingthe superfluous material and giving a smooth finish to the edges of theinsulator.

The plunger shown is for forming interior threads in the plastic body orinsulator and is mounted on a rotary shaft 6, which is provided withthreads having a pitch similar to that of the plunger and engaged with athreaded bearing 7, so that when the shaft is rotated it is also movedendwise automatically for screwing the threaded plunger into and out ofthe plastic body. The means for controlling this rotation is here shownas consisting of intermeshing gears 8, friction-clutch sections 9 and 9,and a rock-lever 10, connected to a pedal 11, one arm of the lever 10being interposed between collars 12 on the shaft 6. The

clutch-sections 9 are mounted on a continuously-rotating shaft and aremoved alternately into engagement with the section 9 to rotate the shaft6 in reverse directions for the purpose of screwing the die 2 into andout of the plastic body.

The mode of operation is as follows: The pedal 11 is first depressed torock the lever 10, which is connected to and moves the clutchsections 9axially, one section engaging the section 9 and through the gears 8rotates the shaft 6 and plunger 2 to screw the same into the plasticbody a predetermined distance, whereupon the upper coller 12 engages androcks the lever 10 in the opposite direction to automatically shift theother section 9 into engagement with the section 9 for reversing therotation of the shaft 6 and unscrewing its plunger out of the plasticbody, and as soon as this is effected the lower collar 12 rocks thelever to its normal position, in which the sections 9 are bothdisengaged from the section 9' and the plunger is at rest ready for therepetition of the operation described. After the insulator is thusformed it is removed from the mold, and when wholly or partially driedit is then glazed and is subsequently fired or vitrified.

It is now apparent that this method of manufacturing insulatorscomprises the following steps: first, liquefying and mixing the materialof which the insulator is to be formed; second, partially solidifyingthe liquid material by expelling part of the moisture, leaving the massin a plastic homogeneous condition; third, mechanically shaping theplastic body under a rotary pressure; fourth, introducing air into themolded body at the instant the pressure is relieved; fifth. glazing theinsulator before firing, and, finally, firing the glazed insulator.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patcut, is

1. The herein-described wet process of making insulators consisting inliquefying and mixing the raw clay to a homogeneous condition and thenexpelling suflicient moisture from the mixture to render it plastic,then mechanically shaping the wet plastic mass under a uniformly andgradually progressive rotary pressure.

2. The herein-described process of making insulators consisting first inrendering the clay homogeneous and plastic, and then hollowing the wetplastic mass under a rotary axial uniformly progressive pressure to formthe interior contour.

3. The herein-described wet process of making insulators consistinginliquefying and mixing the raw material to a homogeneous condition andthen expelling sufficient moisture from the mixture to render itplastic, then mechanically shaping and freeing the interior of the wetplastic body under a uniformly and gradually progressive rotary wipingpressure.

1. The herein-described wet process of making insulators consisting inliquefying and mixing the material to a homogeneous condition and thenexpelling sufficient moisture from the mixture to render it plastic,then mechanically shaping the wet plastic body under a gradually anduniformly progressive rotary pressure and introducing air against thecompressed surface at the instant the pressure is relieved.

5. The herein-described process of making insulators consisting first inrendering the clay homogeneous and plastic, and then holl'owing the wetplastic mass under a rotary axial uniformly-progressive pressure andsliding contact imposed on the interior contour, glazing the insulatorthus formed and firing the glazed insulator.

6. The herein-described wet process of making insulators consisting inliquefying and mixing the clay and expelling part of the moisture torender the clay plastic, and then hollowing the wet plastic body under arotary and sliding pressure imposed on the interior of the body andintroducing air against the compressed surface at the instant thepressure is relieved, glazing the insulator thus formed, and firing theglazed insulator.

7. The herein-described process of making insulators consisting first inrendering the clay homogeneous and plastic, and then hollowing the wetplastic mass under a rotary axial pressure imposed on the interior ofthe mass to form the interior contour, glazing the green insulator thusformed and then firing the same.

8. The herein-described wet process of making insulators consisting inliquefying and mixing the material to a homogeneous condition and thenexpelling sufiicient moisture from the mixture to render it plastic,then mechanically shaping the wet plastic body under a rotary pressure,glazing the green insulator thus formed and then firing the same.

9. The herein-described wet process of making insulators consisting inliquefying and mixing the raw clay to a homogeneous condition and thenexpelling sufficient moisture from the mixture to render it plastic,then placing a sufficient quantity into a suitable mold to shape theinterior of the insulator then hollowing the wet plastic body by thesimultaneous application of gradually and uniformly progressive rotarypressure and heat, and introducing air against the compressed surface atthe instant the pressure is relieved.

10. The herein-described process of making insulators, consisting inhollowing a wet plastic mass under rotary axial pressure uniformlyprogressive during the operation, simultaneously submitting the articleto the action of heat, then subjecting it to the action of air at normaltemperature, then glazing the article so formed and finally vitrifyingthe same.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day ofSeptember, 1902.

FRED M. LOCKE. Witnesses:

M. WV. BURKE, W. C. DRYER.

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